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+--- Thread: Starglow Basin sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations (/showthread.php?tid=63083)
sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Qiao - October 22, 2024
did she want this child?
the answer was no, not really. the minor inconvenience here was fate had worked out so perfectly, depositing a fat hen in her lap.
but what was she to do with it?
the obvious answer was bring this child back to akashingo — or muat riya — whichever bifurcated part of the same head this child called home. his parents must wish to see him returned unharmed, and she imagined there’d be great gratitude in seeing him delivered in one singular piece.
but qiao had seen how the crown paid their favors: which was to say, they paid nothing at all.
how long had she been owed a child, a blood debt? an entire pharaoh had died and a whole child had lived and grown and produced her own children in the span of time the crown’s debt had remained unpaid; accumulating. festering in blood-interest.
the crown was aware of this outstanding obligation — had been given ample time to rectify it, even. qiao had shown she was not unreasonable; she worked in the periphery while they assessed their stores and divided their larders. she had been abundantly patient.
but now, all patience had run out. it was time to claim that obligation herself.
she turned to @Nocht then, probing him awake with a rough prod of her claw.
now, what am i to do with you, child?
RE: sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Nokht - October 23, 2024
Through half-lidded eyes, he'd seen the blur of greens and sandy hues, felt the wind through his fur as if he was flying, and being taken to some better place.
But he wasn't. He was still here. Wherever here was.
Though his body clung stubbornly to life, his mind was quiet. It was slipping, ebbing away into the cold, painless embrace of oblivion.
And then a claw would prod him awake. Back to Earth. Back to the body that ached and stung and burned. He let out a whine as the sensations of his reality washed back over him. His ears only barely registering the question—refreshingly, one he could understand, at least. Despite this, there was no room for rational thought, only the very same frantic fear that had motivated him to run in the first place. He tried hastily stand, to run again—though his leg would fail him far quicker this time. The boy would merely slump back to the dirt with a soft yelp. The most he could summon from his throat was a defeated expression of all that had happened.
But he wasn't. He was still here. Wherever here was.
Though his body clung stubbornly to life, his mind was quiet. It was slipping, ebbing away into the cold, painless embrace of oblivion.
And then a claw would prod him awake. Back to Earth. Back to the body that ached and stung and burned. He let out a whine as the sensations of his reality washed back over him. His ears only barely registering the question—refreshingly, one he could understand, at least. Despite this, there was no room for rational thought, only the very same frantic fear that had motivated him to run in the first place. He tried hastily stand, to run again—though his leg would fail him far quicker this time. The boy would merely slump back to the dirt with a soft yelp. The most he could summon from his throat was a defeated expression of all that had happened.
nn..h..urts..
RE: sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Qiao - October 23, 2024
qiao did not bother chasing after the boy as he stood to move. no doubt, instinct compelled him — and it would keep him alive just yet.
no compassion flickered across her gaze as he fell, inching to a stop with a pitiful expression and the murmur of pain.
oh, i have plenty to help with that.
but she did not offer aid just yet. her question lingered in the air, still unanswered.
which palace do you live in, child?as if she’d had a change of heart — when truthfully, she’d only just started considering all the ways he’d be useful.
RE: sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Nokht - October 23, 2024
Her voice was not like the man who had taken him, her eyes not glaring, wet pearls of malice, but instead they gleamed of something he could not decipher.
He laid defeated, cornered with only the choice of trusting his new captor or trading a grave in the pass for a grave someplace else. He murmured what little he understood of his home, so that she might bring him there.
His pleas had not worked before. He had little faith they would work now. He strung his words together as best he could.
He had gone somewhere he wasn't supposed to, and here he was, paying the price for it. He'd broken the rules. The man would not have been so mean to him if he hadn't done something wrong, this was what he understood of it—nothing of hostage exchange or leverage or war or violence for the sake of violence.
What if they didn't even want him back?
He laid defeated, cornered with only the choice of trusting his new captor or trading a grave in the pass for a grave someplace else. He murmured what little he understood of his home, so that she might bring him there.
..its- the.. cave.. with mom..
..I wan...go home. pl..ease. I'll be good..
His pleas had not worked before. He had little faith they would work now. He strung his words together as best he could.
He had gone somewhere he wasn't supposed to, and here he was, paying the price for it. He'd broken the rules. The man would not have been so mean to him if he hadn't done something wrong, this was what he understood of it—nothing of hostage exchange or leverage or war or violence for the sake of violence.
What if they didn't even want him back?
RE: sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Qiao - October 23, 2024
she should know better than to expect coherent discourse from a toddler. a flare of irritation thrusted through her, tempered only moments after by reminding herself that honey over vinegar served as the best extractor.
sshhh, shhh, shhh. you are a good boy.qiao rubbed his shoulders and picked a twig from his disheveled fur. the gesture could almost be called maternal were it not for the hunter briefly visible in her gaze.
you tell qiao who your mom is, i get you to her, hmmm?
her mind raced as she mentally pursued the thousand avenues this new knowledge might take her down.
RE: sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Nokht - October 23, 2024
Her words soothe him, her gentle touch sends a modicum of comfort down his spine; it was the most he'd been offered in these recent days. Something subconcious made him lean towards her, seeking this. His eyes water again, floodgates loose now that he felt safe enough to let them. They would've poured out soon enough anyways.
Who was she? Well that was a problem. He only knew her by mom. But he'd heard the addresses of others, and peered into the depths of his mind to pull her name out of it all.
Not the mother who had come to save him.
Somewhere in his mind, he had heard the declaration screamed above the snarls and yowls, but it had little meaning to him.
Who was she? Well that was a problem. He only knew her by mom. But he'd heard the addresses of others, and peered into the depths of his mind to pull her name out of it all.
..Naz..ee?He cocked his head, rounded ears perked up.
Not the mother who had come to save him.
Somewhere in his mind, he had heard the declaration screamed above the snarls and yowls, but it had little meaning to him.
RE: sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Qiao - October 24, 2024
though the name was butchered, qiao recognized it readily. she had not been aware nazli was in her season; with a frown, she looked down at the girl’s presumed child.
his teary eyes did nothing to soften out the sharp edges of her bedside manner. she shifted through a catalogue of mental decisions; he could be useful, but the crown knew she had taken him. refusing his return — or worse, doing what she really wanted to do to him — would permanently ruin any goodwill the crown had for her.
still, she hated to give those bastards anything when they so carelessly and flagrantly ignored their obligations to her.
okay.she wished stormchaser was here.
you sleep. rest up. tomorrow will be a long journey.
surveying their small encampment, qiao sighed. it would do, but she could use the watchful eyes of her familiar.
if only he was here.
RE: sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Soto - October 24, 2024
![[Image: surprise-motherfucker-v0-ecavu4o27qzc1.j...7c0f66f85f]](https://preview.redd.it/surprise-motherfucker-v0-ecavu4o27qzc1.jpeg?width=1080&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=27ca3f9ece3874b93a021071f422c67c0f66f85f)
they needed a healer.
soto happened to know just the one.
it’d nearly killed him leaving sangre there in the dirt once they’d managed to escape. she’d make it or she wouldn’t. soto would do what he could, but the rest is up to sangre: how far does her will to live go?
he stalks qiao at a pace no one would call speedy; he’s hurt and nursing his energy for the crucible ahead.
her tracks lead through the valley and down into a basin. reeds sway in the night wind as soto creeps forward.
the murmur of soft voices; crone and child. soto’s ears flick as he crouches low. a night-time moth drones in his ear.
surely she must hear his heart as it thunders in his chest. any moment now she might sense a shadow that slinks close — but she doesn’t.
by the time qiao knows there is an incubus among them, soto has seized the back of her skull. her budding scream is cut short by the gruesome crack of braincase against stone.
now, soto turns to child with blood dripping from his fangs. his breath is spent and it’d cost him dearly to move so savagely. blood glistens in the freshly reopened wounds across his pelt. if the child runs, he’ll lunge for him, too.
show him the same luxurious cartel treatment qiao just got.
soto places a heavy forepaw on the priestess’s throat.
now she’s not going anywhere without his say.
RE: sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Nokht - October 25, 2024
His safety was shattered. Like an mirage in the desert, perhaps it had never been real at all. Illusionary. The fur he tried to bury his face into quickly became the target of another; recognizable, even in his sorry state.
Gnarled and one-eyed, the same man who had come to taunt him now battered the coy; ragdolled her as he had been. The shake of limbs once again infects the boy, it froze him to the ground and trickled like ice through his veins; fear blossoming in his heart once more.
He could not run if he wanted to. His captor's disregard had shattered his back leg against the marble, and now there was no adrenaline to keep him moving.
He does all that he can, and lowers to the ground, still and silent, ears flattened against a blood-smeared cranium.
He hoped the man would leave him. At least if death came to him, alone in the forest, slowly succumbed, it would've been more pleasant than falling into their clutches again.
Gnarled and one-eyed, the same man who had come to taunt him now battered the coy; ragdolled her as he had been. The shake of limbs once again infects the boy, it froze him to the ground and trickled like ice through his veins; fear blossoming in his heart once more.
He could not run if he wanted to. His captor's disregard had shattered his back leg against the marble, and now there was no adrenaline to keep him moving.
He does all that he can, and lowers to the ground, still and silent, ears flattened against a blood-smeared cranium.
He hoped the man would leave him. At least if death came to him, alone in the forest, slowly succumbed, it would've been more pleasant than falling into their clutches again.
RE: sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Qiao - October 25, 2024
not even the shortest haka qiao could summon would have enough time to leave her lips before the dirty, greasy fuckwit seized her skull. qiao had realized his presence seconds before, but it was too late. now her life was forfeit in a stupid pig’s jaws.
she seethed, but said nothing. the child watched on in appalled terror. qiao was swiftly thinking of the thousand ways to escape this, skin intact — but right now she was having trouble breathing.
cursing herself — and the hideous goblin leaning on her windpipe — qiao attempted freedom only once.
she wrenched from under him, but that brief taste of freedom was terminated immediately. the e anaconda seized the back of her neck and slammed her to the ground once more.
this time, he did not end at such simple cruelties. qiao screamed as he took her hind limb in his jaws and pulverized every cordon of muscle, tendon, and ligament, reducing it all to pulpy grit.
she knew — and had experienced much of — gratuitous male violence — but never had her own limbs been so grievously assailed.
gasping out all manner of choked agony, qiao could only hold her unrecognizable limb in her hands as his shadow mercifully left her and advanced towards the boy.
RE: sons and daughters of city officials attend demonstrations - Soto - October 25, 2024
stupid bitch tried something dumb. now she’s back on the ground, one limb eviscerated into ribbons of tendon and ropy flesh.
soto spat out a mix of priestess blood and his own vile spit. he watches in abstract bemusement as qiao crawls across the ground with heavy gasps.
he aims a savage kick right in that old bag’s gut. lays her right out in the dirt.
teach her how the cartel handles upstarts.
the boy. he turns to him and finds he hasn’t moved. his ears are practically disappearing into the back of his head. he’s terrified and covered in blood.
tracing one angular limb with his hard stare, soto sees the boy is injured. the witch will have to carry them.
llévalo.soto orders, turning to the bruja. she doesn’t move, so he marches right back over to her and steps ruthlessly on the segment of exposed bone in her leg. she screams. he ignores it.
llévalo.his ugly face leers close to the priestess, motioning to the boy.
but the priestess is too busy writhing under him like a beheaded snake. soto snarls and reaches for the frozen boy, placing him right beneath qiao’s gasping mouth.
then he makes a motion to kick her again, if she doesn’t get the picture and make a move on.
aren’t they a handsome matching pair now, priestess and boy both with their fractured limbs?
adalante.soto points in the direction he intends for them all to go, uncaring of the bloodied tracks they leave in the sand. the pace he sets is borderline torment for the freshly wounded witch, but sangre’s life is on the line and soto’s patience has thinned to a crescent moon’s razor edge.
their new ground will be in the jutting stones of starglow basin.